Over the last week, there has been a lot of talk about FEMA funds running low for hurricane victims while the administration has spent nearly $1 billion on illegal immigrants.
This week, it was announced that the White House needs Congress to approve more FEMA money with a second storm barreling through Florida, but a watchdog group claims it has located roughly $7 billion in unused FEMA funds.
Talking Points…
- $1 billion used for migrants
- Untapped FEMA funds located
- Analysis
There has been a lot of misinformation on this subject, so I first wanted to clear this up in full. The funds used for migrant services and the disaster relief funds are two different pots under the same umbrella that being FEMA. Since 2023, FEMA has spent nearly $1 billion on illegal immigrants via the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). According to financials, $363 million was made available in 2023, and another $640 million was made available in 2024. When DHS and FEMA were asked about diverting relief funds, they explained:
"The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is a completely separate, appropriated grant program that was authorized and funded by Congress and is not associated in any way with FEMA's disaster-related authorities or funding streams."
Technically, money that Congress has allocated is not supposed to be reallocated for other uses unless Congress approves it, so this money was always in the pot for SSP. So far, the administration has given FEMA about $200 million in relief funds, but the funds are running low, so Congress will have to reconvene to approve more funding.
The outrage, however, will not die down due to the fact Harris has promised more money to Lebanon, which apparently does not need congressional approval, not to mention all the money that FEMA has spent on services that are benefitting illegal immigrants. But the kicker here is that a GOP-dominated Congress approved this money, so they knew where this money was going and they still gave it to Biden to use. So, any outrage on the part of Republicans is faux because they are the ones that allocated these funds.
Secretary Mayorkas sent the country into a panic when he revealed that FEMA cannot support relief efforts due to Hurricane Helene's destruction. With Hurricane Milton about to barrel through Florida, he announced:
"We are expecting another hurricane hitting.
"We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what is imminent."
As noted above, in order to solve this issue, Congress must approve more funding, which will happen, but a watchdog has located a reported $7 billion in funding that has not yet been used and could possibly be redirected for relief efforts. DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, in his August 14 report, found that FEMA has $8.3 billion in unliquidated funds that were never used, dating back to 2012 and before. He estimated that more than $7 billion of that money could be returned to the disaster relief fund. If this is done, there is no need for Congress to approve more money; that fund will cover more than the current relief efforts needed.
According to most recent accounts, FEMA is underperforming on the ground and struggling to get supplies to people in remote areas. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was very critical of the administration, stating:
"It took one week for some of the county mayors in my home state to even get a phone call from FEMA, and Kamala Harris has the nerve to announce 'a dire humanitarian situation' in another country.
"Our own people in Tennessee, North Carolina, and in the Southeast are the ones facing 'a dire humanitarian situation' and need' food, water, and shelter.' America Last is the theme of this administration, and Kamala Harris has proven she will continue that legacy."
The issue, as I see it, is that this administration is notoriously reactive rather than proactive. For instance, Governor Ron DeSantis filed emergency declarations for all counties that would be impacted long before the storm hit so emergency services could be in place. While the Biden administration approved these requests, they did very little on their end to ensure recovery and relief efforts could move quickly once the storm cleared the area.
For instance, with the IG report revealing this treasure trove of funds, why was that funding not immediately put back into the disaster relief fund to be used for Helene and Milton, not to mention the rest of the storms that could hit as we work our way through hurricane season? A bigger question would be how we could have more than $8 billion just floating around, and nobody even realized it until the AG ran an audit. This is mismanagement to the core at a time when we cannot afford these mistakes. Liquidate and disburse the money so tax-paying Americans can get their lives back. It's really that simple.
